Ghana U17 head coach Frimpong Manso has voiced concern over a growing shift in player preference, with many young Ghanaian footballers now opting to play as wingers.

Speaking to Peace FM, the former Ghana international said global football icons have influenced this trend.

“At first, if you ask 8 out of 10 Ghanaian players, they will tell you they are midfielders. But now it is shifting to wingers. They all say, ‘I am a winger,’” he said.

He noted that while many cite stars like Lionel Messi as inspiration, few possess the qualities needed for the role.

“I am a winger because of Messi and others. It is influencing certain people, mostly youngsters. In that position, you need certain qualities to say that you are a winger. That is where the problem is now,” he explained.

Manso also lamented that the obsession with the winger role has resulted in the decline in natural strikers emerging from the Ghana’s youth.

“With strikers, it has decreased very much,” he added.

His concerns come amid Ghana’s ongoing struggle to produce consistent goal-scorers for the national teams.